It has been hypothesized that glycoproteins and glycosaminoglycans may have functional roles related to the physiological activity of axons and synaptic junctions. The objective of the proposed research is to determine whether axonal and synaptic glycoproteins or glycosaminoglycans have a unique composition and whether electrophysiological activity affects their composition, subcellular localization or turnover. The experimental approach will be to further characterize the glycosaminoglycans and glycoproteins which are carried by axonal transport to terminals of the goldfish optic nerve and to axons and terminals of the garfish olfactory nerve. Axonally transported glycosaminoglycans will be labeled with radioactive sulfate, fractionated and submitted to chemical analysis. Transported glycoproteins will be labeled with radioactive fucose and sulfate, converted to glycopeptides, fractionated on the basis of size and charge and submitted to chemical analysis. The time-dependent changes in the extent of labeling of the fractionated glycopeptides and glycosaminoglycans will be compared in stimulated and unstimulated optic and olfactory nerves.